This school appears in our ranking Top 30 Online Master's in Special Education Degrees 2017.
Bemidji State University operated as a single-purpose State Teachers College from its 1919 founding by Manfred Deputy until 1975. Today, Bemidji is a public, coeducational MNSCU constituent in north-central Minnesota that's budgeting $95 million each year. Home to the 2017 Professional Excellence in Service Award recipient, BSU teaches 5,000 undergrad and 300 post-grad Beavers from 38 nations at a 19.5:1 student-faculty ratio. Adjacent to Diamond Point Park, Bemidji State occupies an 89-acre, Mississippi River-facing campus in the "Curling Capital" with eLearning available. Linked to 18,553 LinkedIn alumni, Bemidji has trained Michele Leonhart, Andrew Murray, Gary Paulsen, and more.
Bestowed a 2017 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon, Bemidji is ranked the 109th best Midwestern school and 32nd top public college by the U.S. News & World Report. In particular, BSU lands within the top 291 online graduate teaching and 346 online bachelor's programs nationwide. On Niche, Bemidji State University is America's 557th most conservative and 596th most athletic institution. In Washington Monthly, Bemidji was picked for the country's 176th best graduation rate and 260th most Peace Corps volunteers. College Factual also crowned BSU the 198th best value with the 308th most popular accounting program and 205th highest paid criminal justice grads.
Bemidji State University Accreditation Details
In October 2010, Bemidji State University had its Level V accreditation renewed for 10 years without sanctions by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) under president Dr. Richard Hanson. Headquartered in Chicago, this is one of six regional bodies approved by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit Bemidji's 57 baccalaureate, 12 master's, and eight certificate programs. The Extended Learning Division also features online degree accreditations from the following:
- International Accreditation Council for Business Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering
- Minnesota Department of Education
- Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training
Bemidji State University Application Requirements
Getting into Bemidji State University's online programs is competitive with 2,651 of 4,137 applicants being accepted for a Fall 2016 admission rate of 64 percent. The Extending Learning Division accepts undergrad transfers who've completed at least 24 credits at accredited U.S. or foreign institutions. International students must have scored above 550 on the TOEFL or 6.0 on the IELTS too. Automatic admission is offered for students in the top 50 percent of their class and/or ACT scores over 21. Online BAS majors must hold a two-year associate with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better. The School of Graduate Studies considers master's students who've finished their baccalaureate and maintained a minimum 2.75 GPA. Specifically, the Accelerated MBA online requires a formula score over 1,050 for GPA times 200 plus the GMAT score.
Bemidji State University has rolling admission with a priority deadline of February 1st and scholarship deadline of May 1st for undergrads. The Education/Online Instruction MAT and Special Education MSEd programs have a preferred April 1st deadline. Prospective students create a StarID to submit the Online Application. Extra materials could be emailed to [email protected] or sent to 1500 Birchmont Drive NE in Bemidji, MN 56601 too. Here are the most commonly requested application add-ons:
- $20 application fee via E-Services Bills
- Official high school/college transcripts
- College Board entrance exam scores
- Typed, one or two-page letter of intent
- Résumé or LinkedIn page of experiences
- Two professional reference forms
Tuition and Financial Aid
Bemidji State University's traditional full-time tuition costs undergrads $8,677 per year. That's before the $8,162 room and board, $890 textbook, and $3,000 miscellaneous expenses enter the equation. Fortunately, the Extended Learning Division keeps budgets low with online bachelor's courses charging $296 per credit regardless of residence. Distance majors are only responsible for a $10 technology fee, $0.47 MSUSA fee, and $7.50 green fee. Total cost for 2+2 online programs is roughly $18,840. Graduate online programs bill $451 per credit for tuition and fees, so an entire master's degree price would be $13,350 to $15,785.
According to the NCES College Navigator, 90 percent of full-time BSU Beavers share $32.5 million annually for financial aid packages averaging $5,288. Online students qualify for institutional awards like the Presidential Scholarship, University Scholarship, Academic Achievement Scholarship, American Indian Scholarship, Edward Gersich Distance Education Scholarship, Gladys McKinley Scholarship, and Northern Minnesota Distance Learning Professional Scholarship. Submitting the FAFSA via code 002336 after October 1st could open Federal Pell and SEOG Grants. Gopher State natives could claim the Minnesota State Grant, Public Safety Officer's Survival Grant, and Minnesota Teacher Candidate Grant. The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit deducts 20 percent of the first $10,000 spent on education. Paying for Extended Learning majors could include Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized or PLUS loans too.
Online Degrees Available
On Desire2Learn, the Extended Learning Division at Bemidji State University lets returning students conveniently access seven bachelor's and three master's wholly online. Eight graduate certificates, such as Health Education, Emotional Behavioral Disorders, and Specific Learning Disability, are also delivered online. The U.S. News & World Report stated that Bemidji has nearly 150 distance courses with a maximum of 25 Beavers for close faculty interaction. Other BSU advantages include Starfish progress reports, 24/7 technical support, SmarThinking tutoring, A.C. Clark Library access, the TAA Program, and free CLEP practice exams. Two sample Bemidji State degrees online are:
Applied Engineering BAS
Chaired by Mr. Lyle Meulebroek from Bridgeman Hall, Bemidji's Applied Engineering BAS is an online, 2+2 bachelor's completion program that's ATMAE-accredited to prepare associate grads for leadership promotions in manufacturing and construction. The ATE Regional Center of Excellence confers this 40-credit, upper-level major with courses, such as Material Science, Quality Assurance, or Cost Analysis, and optional co-ops for a median salary of $69,000.
Education/Online Instruction MAT
Adhering to Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice, the Education/Online Instruction MAT suits licensed teachers and FasTrack Initiative students at Bemidji State who seek to further their pedagogical strengths in K-12 classes face-to-face or via the internet. The 35-credit, non-certification degree directed by Dr. Timothy Goodwin from Bensen Hall blends core courses like Instructional Design with an area of emphasis, educational research, and a final paper.
Learn more about other online offerings at Bemidji State University, including the Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communication, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Applied Management BAS, Accelerated Master of Business Administration, and Special Education MSEd, on the website.